CHAPTER 12 — THE SECRET OF THE ANOMALY
Garron knelt in the dirt, wrists bound with Astral Rope—Aeris's doing.
Kael's troops dragged the surviving enemy soldiers away for containment, while Lunaris prowled nearby, watching the defeated Lord with cold, luminous eyes.
The forest smelled of ozone, blood, and crushed earth.
Kael stood over Garron, calm, unreadable.
"Explain everything," he said.
Garron swallowed hard.
"I… I only know rumors," he stammered. "Whispers passed between Lords before the summoning."
Aeris folded her arms.
"Rumors? About what?"
Garron's expression tightened.
"About you," he said, staring at Kael. "They called you a Deviant Summon. A threat to the balance. Something about… infinite potential."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
So the system flagged me even in this timeline.
"Who told you?"
"A man in black armor," Garron muttered. "Face masked. His aura was overwhelming… stronger than any Lord I have ever sensed."
Aeris stiffened.
"Rank?"
"I couldn't tell. But the pressure felt like death."
Kael knelt, leveling his gaze with Garron's.
"What did he say exactly?"
Garron shivered before forcing the words out.
"He said:
'When the summoning begins, seek out the one who shines brightest. The one whose power breaks the cycle.
Kill him before he evolves.'"
The clearing fell silent.
Lunaris growled.
Aeris's eyes burned with sharp, protective anger.
Kael only sighed.
"So it starts earlier this time… The Hunt."
Aeris stepped closer.
"You've heard of this?"
Kael nodded slowly.
"In my past life, a group called the Obsidian Order hunted Lords who gained special abilities. The stronger you grew, the more determined they were to kill you."
Aeris's eyes widened.
"Then the masked man—"
"Likely one of their high commanders," Kael finished.
Garron looked between them in disbelief.
"You're talking like you knew all this before we were summoned—"
Kael stood.
"I did."
Garron's breath stilled.
Kael didn't explain. He didn't need to.
Aeris stepped forward, bowstring drawn, eyes sharp.
"What shall we do with him, my lord?"
Garron trembled, but Kael raised a hand.
"Let him live. He was used."
Aeris blinked. "You're… sparing him?"
Kael nodded.
"I don't kill blindly. And we need the Obsidian Order to think I'm still early in development."
He stared down at Garron.
"You will return to your territory—what's left of it—and tell no one what you saw."
Garron nodded frantically.
"You'll keep silent because your troops survived," Kael continued coolly. "I don't erase debts. You owe me your life."
Garron swallowed.
"I… I understand."
Aeris loosened the rope.
The defeated Lord staggered up and fled into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.
When he was gone, Aeris turned to Kael.
"You took a risk."
"It wasn't a risk," Kael said quietly. "If they wanted to assassinate me, they would have sent someone much stronger than him."
Aeris stared at him—studying him.
"My lord… just what are you?"
Kael looked out across his territory.
In the distance, the sky flickered with faint lights—more Lords activating their abilities, more territories rising, more power shifting.
But somewhere beyond that horizon lay the true threat.
The Obsidian Order.
The corrupted Lords.
And the monsters far stronger than the beasts he'd faced today.
He closed his eyes briefly.
"I'm someone who died once," he said softly. "And someone who won't let it happen again."
A deep hum echoed.
A new system message appeared.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Your actions have altered the world trajectory.
New Questline Unlocked: "The Hunters Awaken."
First Objective: Survive the next 48 hours.
Warning: Elite Assassins will be dispatched.
Aeris's face hardened.
"Assassins… this soon?"
Kael turned to her, eyes blazing gold.
"Let them come."
He looked toward the horizon—
—and smiled faintly.
"I need elite enemies to test my next evolution."